With engagement program ReAct -- branded as "Tomra Makes Change" in the U.S. -- consumers can earn points, and redeem them, and share recycling activity on social media. ReAct already has thousands of users in the U.S., who have earned millions of points, Tomra said. The program can complement deposit refunds, or act as an incentive in markets without deposit legislation.

The machine's touchscreen turns the system into a marketing touchpoint. Consumers can donate their deposit refund to a local charity, and retailers can promote daily specials or show seasonal campaigns -- all administered remotely. Retailers can also print coupons on refund receipts.

Smartphone app Notify + Assist pushes notifications to personnel when machines require attention (full bins, jams or low printer paper) and gives step-by-step guidance on how to fix an issue. Analytics pulls business intelligence from big data. It shows queueing time, how well the machine was cleaned and recycling volumes for different times of day.

Tomra Connect also combats fraud attempts like someone trying to redeem the same deposit amount twice through real-time validation and devaluation of refund receipts.

Tomra reportedly has more than 75,000 installations in over 40 markets, often where deposits are refunded when consumers return their used beverage containers. The RVMs identify the can or bottle, give the appropriate refund and compress containers for easier transportation. Consumers reportedly deliver 35 billion used beverage containers every year to Tomra's machines.

Tomra Connect is not the company's first foray into remote communication for its recycling returns machines. In the 1980s, Tomra used dialup connectivity to transmit software and databases, plus download log files and statistics. The 1990s saw the implementation of networking and IP. Tomra Connect represents third-generation connectivity, which moves that infrastructure to the cloud and unites previous local offerings under one umbrella.